


Best Friends

by ujihun



Category: ONEWE (Band)
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Lee Giwook | Cya, Asexual Son Dongju | Xion, Asexual Son Dongmyeong, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, Light Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, for some reason my word count increases every time i write, kind of a vent but im fine lol, maybe i should stop typing my thoughts in the tags..., onewe is supportive!!, word vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ujihun/pseuds/ujihun
Summary: Giwook hasn't slept at all. And this time, it isn't because he's stressed over producing a new song. He isn't overworking himself this time. Instead, the boy was looking to distracting himself with music, but it's done him no good.He can't focus, can't stop thinking, his mind nagging and aching with too many worries, and he's left with too many scrapped beats, a series of crumpled sheets of lyrics, and a disarray of thoughts.(In which Giwook stays up way too late, overthinking too much, but his best friends come in to save the day.)
Relationships: Lee Giwook | Cya & Everyone, Lee Giwook | Cya & Jin Yonghoon, Lee Giwook | Cya & Ju Harin, Lee Giwook | Cya & Kang Hyungu, Lee Giwook | Cya & Son Dongmyeong
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Best Friends

**Author's Note:**

> alternate summary: author projects herself onto giwook for self-indulgence, and also to indulge on onewe being the absolute best friends ever bc i love how soft and close they are :"(
> 
> anyway, pretend there's no pandemic and quarantine in this lol thankyou  
> also holy crap i am bad at titling my works u_u
> 
> i'm sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors in advance!!

Giwook lets out a shaky breath, clenching his fists too tightly. His nails dig into his palms, threatening to break skin, but Giwook finds that he can't relax. There's a queasiness in his stomach that won't go away, that won't leave him. He doesn't want to feel like this. He feels unreasonable feeling like this. Giwook's been telling himself it's not something he should be stressing over but he feels all messed up anyway. The churning in his stomach only continues to grow.

The light from his desktop illuminates harshly against his face, blinding, and it's the only light source in the studio other than the very dull decorative lights alongside the corners of the walls. Giwook's been sitting there for hours now, and as his eyes fall wearily upon the date and time displayed in the corner of the computer screen, he lets out another shaky breath.

The date is June 5th, 2020.

And it's about halfway through 5 in the morning.

Giwook hasn't slept at all. And this time, it isn't because he's stressed over producing a new song. He isn't overworking himself this time. Instead, the boy was looking to distracting himself with music, but it's done him no good.

He can't focus, can't stop thinking, his mind nagging and aching with too many worries, and he's left with too many scrapped beats, a series of crumpled sheets of lyrics, and a disarray of thoughts.

"Giwook- _ah?_ "

The boy hears the door to his studio open but he doesn't look up, and instead, squeezes his eyes shut as if it'll make the other person go away. In truth, he doesn't want the other person to actually leave, so when the door closes lightly with a _click_ , he's afraid that he's been left alone again. But then he feels a hand rest itself softly on his shoulder anyway, a bit hesitant but clearly meant to be reassuring, and Giwook feels himself buckle. He just breaks from the simple gesture and the emotions just pours out.

He feels stupid as he latches himself onto Yonghoon, feeling hot tears seep out of his eyes and into the soft fabric of the older's t-shirt. Yonghoon smells like their cheap laundry soap - a scent Giwook's actually grown to like - and also this indescribable, distinct smell that just so notably belongs to the older man. It feels comforting after hours of inhaling the thick air of the studio. Yonghoon doesn't say anything as Giwook continues to cry into his shirt. The older man just draws comforting circles into Giwook's back, combing his other hand through the boy's tousled hair. Giwook knows Yonghoon is only trying to make him feel better but he only cries harder.

But after a while, the crying does die down into sniffles. Giwook hears Yonghoon draw in a soft but deep breath, and it echoes due to his ear still pressed against the older's chest. It's obvious what comes next, and the bassist braces himself for the question.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Giwook peels his damp face off of Yonghoon's shirt. He grimaces when the cool air of the studio hits his tear-streaked cheeks and he grumbles, shoving his sleeves into his face.

For sure, one-hundred percent, Giwook knows he can trust the other man. Jin Yonghoon doesn't have a single bad bone in his body (except for, Giwook thinks jokingly, his elderly joints). Yonghoon can be clingy and dramatic, and overly affectionate, but it's all in good intent. Sometimes the _hyung_ is the childish one. But even so, he's there for the younger four members no matter what, almost like a parent more than just a big brother.

Nonetheless, Giwook is scared. He ends up hesitating too long. And Yonghoon doesn't ignore it.

"You don't have to tell me," Yonghoon says gently. "I won't force you, but know I won't ever make fun of you, okay?"

Through yet another sniffle, Giwook wipes half-dried tears from his face. He notices his desktop screen has gone black now; Yonghoon must've turned it off. Apparently Yonghoon's also thrown away Giwook's abandoned, scribbled-out lyric sheets, and his desk is cleared off of any other mess. He isn't sure how he didn't notice this earlier, but he sits there with the weight of guilt and thankfulness aching in his chest.

" _Hyung_ ," Giwook starts.

His voice comes out much quieter than he likes. The 20 year old doesn't like how timid he sounds at the moment. He probably looks awful too, just having cried his face off into Yonghoon's shirt, which is still embarrassingly damp. He's thankful he hadn't put on any makeup prior to leaving the dorm earlier, otherwise it'd for sure have left an even uglier stain.

With a soft sigh, leaning his head back against his chair, Giwook ponders for a bit. Things like this usually don't bother him. At least, not this much. But he sits there at half past 5 o'clock in the morning with no sleep, his face swollen, and he's now unintentionally dragged his _hyung_ into his mess.

" _Hyung_ , I'm sorry you have to deal with this right now," he apologizes instead.

Yonghoon frowns immediately.

"No, I'm here because I want to be. I can't just leave you alone while you're clearly not okay."

"Thank you," Giwook sniffles.

The older nods a bit dramatically, grinning too widely as his hand flies up into a thumbs-up, and a laugh forces its way out of Giwook's mouth. He appreciates the random goofy antic, and it brightens up his mood a little. But the glee barely lasts, dropping quickly when Giwook swallows and contemplates on telling Yonghoon what's bothering him.

"You don't have to talk if you aren't ready," Yonghoon says again, as if sensing Giwook's internal conflict.

It's insane how intuitive the older man is, but Giwook just assumes it's because Yonghoon is older. Yonghoon _has_ lived another six years longer than Giwook. The leader has stayed up in the studio until three or four in the morning previously, and still does it now sometimes. It only makes sense for Yonghoon to have a fair share of overthinking in the studio. And not just that, but it's been a good five or so years since the entirety of the band has been together. From MAS0094, to MAS, to ONEWE, Giwook knows his _hyung_ is able to read him like a book.

"I want to tell you, I really do," Giwook mumbles, tugging at a stray piece of string on the end of one of his sleeves. "I'm just scared. I know you won't judge me but I'm still scared."

"Take your time. Don't force yourself, okay? Don't worry about practice later, I can always call manager- _nim_ and ask for a break. I think we could all use a mental health day."

The corners of Giwook's lips turn up a little and he nods. It's a little weird then, sitting with Yonghoon for like another five minutes in silence, but Yonghoon is incredibly patient. His gaze remains just as soft, and he continues to be just as ready to listen as he was earlier. He starts humming quietly to himself too, still smiling as reassuringly as possible, and Giwook easily picks up on the tune to their new song _If_. It makes Giwook sway his head a little bit, ever so noticeably, and Yonghoon's smile widens.

After a while, Giwook feels the urge to speak finally outweigh his worries, and he stops swaying to straighten himself up in his chair. Yonghoon's head perks up at the movement and his humming slowly fades into silence. Giwook takes a deep breath, two breaths, three.

"So, you know how I met up with my old friend today?" Giwook says slowly, enunciating each word clearly as if afraid Yonghoon won't understand. "Or, well, yesterday?"

"Mhm. Did something happen?"

"I," he pauses, swallowing. "I mean, it was okay. For the most part. It's nice, seeing Moon-jo for the first time in like, five years. But before he went to go home, he just... said some ignorant things that don't sit well with me."

Within seconds, Yonghoon's face contorts into a look of disapproval and a hint of anger.

"I'll throw hands for you, Giwookie, just give me the cue," he says, raising his fists comically.

"Oh my god, _hyung_ ," Giwook can't help but snort, his cheeks puffing out and his hand flying to his lips as he suppresses a snicker.

Yonghoon grins triumphantly with the success of making the younger laugh.

"But jokes aside, I'm completely serious. I _will_ fight him if I have to," the older states. "Anyway, sorry, continue."

"Well, uh," Giwook inhales through his teeth. "Our band is inclusive of like, anyone, right? With like race, sexuality, religion, and all that?"

Giwook waits for Yonghoon to nod before he continues on.

"I just... I thought Moon-jo was like you guys too." His voice is starting to get shaky but he just gulps it back and keeps going. "It's Pride Month in America, and although the whole topic of LGBT is controversial here in Korea, Moon-jo is pretty open about being gay."

"Let me guess, is he not inclusive even though he's gay?"

As he recounts on his reunion with Moon-jo, Giwook grimaces. Yonghoon's hit the target spot on. It's Giwook's turn to nod now, keeping his head low as if he's the one who should be ashamed. Yonghoon huffs, evidently angry that Moon-jo has upset Giwook, and angry over Moon-jo's lack of inclusiveness, but before he can say anything, the door to the studio opens again.

Some light from the hallway enters, but it's partially shielded by three other figures that easily belong to the rest of the band. Hyungu, Harin, and Dongmyeong pour in, shuffling their feet like a bunch of penguins (rather fittingly for Hyungu). It's almost laughable at how groggy and disheveled they look, pieces of hair just sticking up as if purposefully gelled in that manner. Confused expressions litter their faces, but it's also obvious they're worried too with the creases on their foreheads.

"I was wondering where you two were," Hyungu says, shoving a palm into his mouth to subdue a tear-jerking yawn.

"Myeong got worried and woke all of us up," Harin adds.

Dongmyeong, who was rubbing his eyes and trying to smooth down his awful bed hair, shoots the drummer an offended look before slapping lightly at the latter's arm.

"Okay, but you guys _are_ okay, right?" Dongmyeong asks.

Giwook can literally feel his best friend's worrying radiating in the air. Dongmyeong's always been the kind to care too much, after all. It isn't a bad thing, for sure, but Dongmyeong has always been the kind of person to bring himself down by shouldering too much of another person's stresses.

"Yeah, I am now," Giwook replies. "I cried earlier but I'm fine, thanks to Yonghoon- _hyung_."

"Giwook- _ah_ , It's totally fine to cry," Yonghoon says.

It's meant to be reassuring, but Harin decides to cut in with a joke.

"Yeah," the drummer says, starting to grin mischievously. "Yonghoon- _hyung_ cries all the time."

Dongmyeong slaps Harin's arm once more, but this time he's guffawing loudly. Instead of clapping like he usually does when he laughs, the keyboardist has made Harin his victim instead. Then there's Yonghoon, who's gasping at Harin's statement, a hand flying to his chest, and he stands from his seat so fast that Dongmyeong immediately shifts from laughter to startled screaming. The boy clings to Harin's arm now, which he was abusing not even a second ago, making Harin let out a yelp. Hyungu, the one who still looks the most sleepy, is snickering to himself in the corner.

They're for sure going to get a noise complaint, because its almost 6 in the morning and they're already causing chaos, and even though the studio is relatively soundproof, Dongmyeong and Harin are probably capable of being heard anyway. It makes Giwook giggle to himself too; his band mates are always impossible to not laugh at.

"Sorry for interrupting though," Hyungu says after a moment. "We can go if you're not comfortable."

"No, no, I," Giwook swallows, "I'm a little scared but I trust you guys, and I want you guys to hear this too. If you want to, I mean."

Without answering, the other three are already crowding around, in a manner that's both hilarious but also comforting. Giwook finds his anxiety leaving him a bit, instead of the usual pressure of being surrounded. He starts laughing again, with four heads surrounding him now, peering at him maybe a bit too intently.

Giwook was scared earlier, yeah. He can be scared all he wants, but he knows deep down that they'll never judge him.

It is his band, after all.

"So you guys know how I met with Moon-jo tod— I mean, yesterday, right?"

The group nods in unison. Giwook snorts a bit before continuing.

"Yeah, so like, it was all fine, I guess. But then the topic of LGBT Pride came up. Which is cool. Moon-jo's openly gay, and that's perfectly fine and valid, but then he just..."

Giwook trails off, pausing briefly. He feels kind of guilty, for speaking bad of someone who was one of his closest friends in middle school, but it's just so wrong to him. It's conflicting, with half of his brain telling him not to antagonize Moon-jo, while the other half of his brain says to do it anyway. Kim Moon-jo may have been his best friend other than Dongmyeong back then, but what Moon-jo said was wrong.

It's wrong, wrong in general. And personally to Giwook as well.

"Take your time," Hyungu says, mirroring Yonghoon's words from earlier without realizing it.

"It's just, he... I'm upset. It's unfair, that he says..." Giwook inhales before resuming. "Moon-jo said that asexuality isn't a thing. It made me sad and angry all at once. Like, he's gay and yet he's not fully inclusive of any other sexualities? It doesn't make any sense."

Giwook sees Dongmyeong's eyebrows knit together, his eyes narrowing in resentment to Moon-jo, and the other members follow suit with similar expressions.

Giwook knows it's not just personal for himself, but for Dongmyeong as well. He was there, roughly four years ago, when he and the twins sat in front of a computer screen in the Son's apartment. It was then when they had learned about asexuality for the first time, mentioned in some article pertaining to one of their favorite Western celebrities. And it was then when all three of them, Dongmyeong, Dongju, and Giwook, had learned that there was a term for how they felt about people. He remembers all three of them being freshly 16, and remembers their relief to know that they're not the only ones who shared this feeling of asexuality.

Of course Dongmyeong would be mad over Moon-jo invalidating all three of them. It made Giwook's dejection begin to turn into anger as well.

"He what?" Dongmyeong is scowling, as expected, and understandably so. "He _WHAT?_ "

"That's stupid! I don't need to be a genius to know Moon-jo's wrong," Harin glowers.

"Yeah, he was like, _'asexual people have never faced the same struggles as the rest of us_ ', or whatever. Like, does that seriously mean they're not real? That they're not valid?"

Giwook's sadness and stress has fully shifted into vexation and fury now. It's not that he wasn't angry earlier, but now he's more mad than sad. And he has every right to be.

"I know he's your friend, but he's an idiot. Full offense," Hyungu says.

The guitarist's nose crinkles, as if he's just smelled something rotten.

"Oh, he's _no friend now_ ," Dongmyeong cuts in. "If asexuality isn't real, then does that mean I'm fake? That Dongju is fake? That _YOU'RE_ fake?"

The boy is practically snarling, clearly seething even more than Giwook is. He's always had a bit too much emotion, and Hyungu has to pat the boy's arm to tone down the anger.

"Exactly— I was comfortable in telling you guys and ONEUS that I'm asexual _and_ aromantic, especially since the twins are ace too, but it hurts I can't say something to _him_ about it. I could trust him with things in the past but," Giwook halts himself before he pops a vein and just heaves a sigh. "People really do change. I guess there's a reason for drifting away."

"Giwook- _ah_ , our Cya, we love you," Yonghoon slings an arm affectionately around the younger man's shoulders. "Moon-jo doesn't deserve you at all. Don't listen to him."

"Kim Moon-jo's got nothing on ONEWE!" Dongmyeong huffs.

"Yeah! Giwook, ignore that douchebag. You're 100% valid!" Harin throws his arms into the air.

"We eat him if he says otherwise," Hyungu adds, a subtle smirk plastered on his face.

" _Hell yeah, we eat him!_ " Dongmyeong shrieks and throws his arms up into the air like Harin.

It's impossible not to feel better when these four are your friends, Giwook thinks, as a wide grin foces its way onto his face. With Harin and Dongmyeong screaming with their arms in the air, even Hyungu hurling his arms upwards and joining on the craziness, and with Yonghoon having Giwook in a headlock while ruffling his hair lovingly, Giwook couldn't be more appreciative and thankful.

"You know, the more I think about it," Giwook says when Yonghoon releases him, "I don't really miss Moon-jo like I thought I did. Y'all are the _bestest_ best friends I could have anyway."

"Duh, no one could replace me, your favorite _hyung_ ," Yonghoon boasts.

"Psh, 'favorite' might be pushing it," Giwook says. "Obviously Harin- _hyung_ is my favorite."

Dongmyeong cackles at that (as if he wasn't just ignored as an option too, and claps his hands wildly like a seal. Harin begins striking multiple, corny modelling poses, all while keeping his face stoic, and Yonghoon's jaw drops, gawking at his betrayal.

"I'm kidding, _hyung_! I'm kidding! _All_ of you guys are my favorite," Giwook laughs lightly, his eyes crinkling with glee. "Only you guys are allowed to be blessed by me and my owl sounds."

Yonghoon laughs before cooing, "love you, my baby," as if he's Giwook's father and embracing the boy once more.

Dongmyeong follows suit, and then Harin, and then finally Hyungu piles on top, leaving Giwook sandwiched tightly in the middle. They've stacked themselves over the boy at his chair, uncomfortably and in unnatural stances, but they make do anyway.

" _AH_ — I love you guys too, but God, _please_ , you're gonna squeeze me to death—"

"Nuh-uh, we're gonna squeeze out any remaining sadness and thoughts of that stupid, sucky guy, and then you'll be happy, and then we go eat ice cream," Dongmyeong states matter-of-factly.

"Yeah!— wait. Ice cream? For breakfast?" Harin questions.

The drummer's face is half-buried into the nape of Yonghoon's neck, but even with that, Giwook can make out Harin's eyebrows pulled together in confusion so closely that they were almost touching.

"I'm all for it, unless _you_ would rather be our breakfast, Harin," Hyungu says deviously.

Giwook's starting to wonder if Hyungu has a thing for eating, but he just brushes off the thought.

" _What?!_ I thought we were eating Moon-jo, not me!"

The group hug gets dispersed when Harin tries to make a run for it. Hyungu grabs at him with a speed that doesn't look human, and he's sneering terrifyingly like a typical movie villain as he latches himself onto the poor drummer. Dongmyeong is immediately joining in, making large chomps at Harin's fingers. Harin screams something incoherent, maybe something about needing his fingers for drumming, but he gets ignored as Hyungu and Dongmyeong ambush him like zombies from _Train to Busan_. Giwook laughs, or as much as he can muster while still getting smothered by Yonghoon. Somewhere in the mess of shrieks, Giwook can actually hear some sort of attempt to harmonize and he joins in with a high-pitched holler (after he's pried off Yonghoon first).

It's maybe twenty minutes later, when Giwook decides that Kim Moon-jo truly will and never will compare to ONEWE. Giwook now sits at the dorm's kitchen table, his knees tucked underneath his chin comfortably, a cup of his favorite ice cream flavor in his hands, surrounded by the four other boys who are cracking corny jokes. He knows he'll always feel so loved and valid with these four. With Yonghoon getting clowned every now and then, Dongmyeong and Harin jumping up from their seats while they tell animated funny stories, and Hyungu adding a devious little comment every now and then (that just leads to more chaos), Giwook couldn't be happier as he joins in with the mischief.

Giwook doesn't mind his sleepiness or the foul experience from yesterday anymore, because he sleeps it all away into the afternoon anyway while surrounded by the best friends he's ever had.

(Their complaining manager will have to wait until later to scold them on all the noise they've made.)

**Author's Note:**

> tfw i accidentally made hyungu sound like a cannibal (or a demon) orz
> 
> so, moon-jo's first name is from a character from the horror/thriller kdrama ["strangers from hell"/"hell is other people"](http://asianwiki.com/Strangers_From_Hell) bc i didn't wanna antagonize any idol lol
> 
> sorry again for any errors!!  
> idk if i missed any while re-reading for like the 7th time
> 
> i'm sorry if they're out of character too, especially bc i self-projected onto giwook and dongmyeong,,,  
> i accidentally made the twins ace but aye, that means the whole 00 line (which includes me) is ace now ( ꈍᴗꈍ)  
> ig this is kinda a vent? not really, i'm not upset, i just had an lgbt friend who invalidated asexuality on his insta story a long time ago and i was like bro,,, :(
> 
>  **ANYWay, please check out[this black lives matter carrd](https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/)  
> and please sign all of the petitions listed there! please stay safe and healthy, i love y'all** (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡
> 
> [my art instagram](https://www.instagram.com/akihisae/)  
> [my kpop twitter](https://www.twitter.com/ujihun_/)


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